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A Mom Looks Back
Genesis 29:31-35
Today’s Insights
The story of Leah is one of the saddest in Scripture (see Genesis 29:15-36). In ancient times, women had virtually no voice in what happened to them. When Leah’s father, Laban, deceived Jacob into sleeping with her instead of her sister Rachel, she was a helpless pawn in that scheme. When Jacob later married Rachel as well, Leah was moved to secondary status in the home. When she began to have sons, she thought she’d been justified by God, but that feeling seemed to carry with it some resentment and bitterness, which we discover in the names she gave her boys (vv. 32-34). That changed, however, with the birth of her fourth son, from whose line Jesus would come. She named him Judah saying, “This time I will praise the Lord” (v. 35). This name revealed a heart of trust in God. We too can learn to trust Him through difficult times.
Today’s Devotional
“I really didn’t like Mother’s Day,” said Donna, a mom of three. “It brought back to me all the inadequacies and failures I felt and feel as a mother.”
Donna started her parenting life with high expectations. Reality lowered the bar. “Being a mother was really the hardest thing I ever did,” she said. And one particular child “pushed every button I had.”
When God chose Leah to be a matriarch of Israel, no doubt she had high expectations for each of her children. She gave her first four sons names with relevance to her difficult situation (Genesis 29:32-35). Yet when it comes to dark stories in the Bible, these sons have starring roles as the bad guys. Some were guilty as murderers (34:24-30) and slavers (37:17-28). Leah’s son Judah is the villain in one of the uglier accounts in Scripture (ch. 38).
How like God to bring the Messiah through Leah’s descendants—including Judah. In the most difficult circumstances and through the most unexpected people, God works out redemption.
Donna learned this too. As she faced all her parenting challenges, she never found an answer “except to keep going and keep praying.” And that kid who pushed all her buttons? He’s grown now, and he loves and respects his mom. Looking back, Donna says, “Perhaps he was sent to me to teach me something about myself and something about my God.”
Reflect & Pray
Where have you sensed the keenest disappointments in your life? What do you find you’re learning about God through this?
Heavenly Father, please help me to trust You in everything.
